SS5 Noblest of All
by Denise Felt
Summary: On Chronos, evidence is found implicating the Thoelians in a treasonous plot.


**5. Noblest of All**

**(A UFO Story)**

by Denise Felt 2010

_This was the noblest Roman of them all_. – Julius Caesar, Act 5 Scene 5

**Prologue**

The captain of the patrol eyed the chief inspector of the crash site. "Well, Turos? Can you classify the DNA of the remains?"

Inspector Turos hated being rushed into anything, and most certainly in a situation like this, where there were so many variables involved. But he could not help but be intrigued by this latest mystery. A Thoelian ship exploding as it approached the landing port provided for it was not that uncommon. It had happened before, after all. The renegades did not like having their ships boarded, especially since the Border Patrol always confiscated their "cargo." Some races' practices were beyond even what a Chronosian would tolerate.

No. It wasn't that the ship had exploded that was so interesting. It was that no remains of any Thoelian had been found in the wreckage. And the meagre remains that they had been able to find were definitely not Thoelian. "Captain," he said to the man awaiting his report. "It would seem that the remains are from an Earthling."

"What?" The Border Patrol captain was surprised by this news and did not bother to hide it. If Thoelians had turned their destructive attentions toward Earth, it might be necessary for the Council to be alerted. Chronos would not sit by and allow them to prey on a weaker civilization. Thankfully, the diplomatic nightmares engendered by any decision the Council made would not be on his shoulders. But he needed to be certain of his facts before proceeding. He could not afford to involve the Council in this until he was sure that there had been some actual violation of treaty. "Can you confirm that?"

Turos shrugged. He only had his field equipment with him. He turned the readout so that the captain could see it. "It says Earthling. If you want me to confirm it for you, I'll need to run it through back at the lab."

The captain barely hesitated before nodding. They needed to know. One way or the other. "Do it."

Turos motioned to his team to place the mutilated remains into a stasis container for transport to the lab. He stood up, brushing off the knees of his uniform perfunctorily. He came over to where the captain stood, overseeing the investigation of the crash site. He liked Captain Jasp. He could be counted on to run a clean case – unlike one or two of the other officers Turos had dealt with over the years. "I hope my findings are wrong," he told him now.

The captain met his eyes and gave him a small nod of agreement. This could turn into a hellacious mess if they weren't extremely careful with every step. Because the worst of it wasn't that there was a dead Earthling onboard a Thoelian vessel. It was that there wasn't anyone else onboard. Anyone who had been alive to man the controls. Which left them with only one obvious conclusion. A jumper had been involved. One of their own people. And _that_ was going to require some explaining.

**Chapter 1**

"So, Dad," John said as he wandered his father's office, touching the sculptures on various shelves, but not picking any of them up. He'd learned his lesson on that one a long time ago. "What did I do?"

Straker sat on the couch rather than behind his desk, not wanting to make this discussion seem formal in any way. But his son had obviously picked up on his mood. "What do you mean?"

John sighed gustily. "You're wearing your 'somebody-stepped-out-of-line' face. And I'm assuming it was me. Is this about my knocking over one of the new racks in Wardrobe? It was an accident. Honest. And I apologized and picked it back up."

Straker shook his head. He hadn't even heard about that incident. But then, he was finding that Chandra was remarkably lenient where his son was concerned and saw no reason to inform him of everything he did. "No, John. This isn't about that."

"Okay. What is it about then?"

"It's about Chandra."

John stopped wandering and came over to the couch. "Is she okay? She's not sick, is she?"

Straker looked at his son searchingly. "Why would you ask that?"

John shrugged. "I was snacking on some broccoli and offered to share it with her. I know she really likes it. But she kinda turned green and left the room. I wondered if maybe she had the flu or something."

"Something," his father agreed, fighting a grin. "She's pregnant."

John's face lit up. "Really? That's so cool! You mean, I'm going to get a sibling? A little brother or sister to pick on? I mean, take care of?"

Straker chuckled. When John had been younger, his Christmas wish list had always included a baby brother. So his father had been pretty sure that the news of Chandra's pregnancy would be well-received. What he needed to discuss with his son was not such a happy topic. "John, I really wish you hadn't asked Chandra about increasing your visitation."

John was surprised. And a little hurt. "I didn't, Dad. She brought it up. You don't want me to visit more often? I can deal with that. I told her that newlyweds need time alone, but she just laughed."

Straker's lips quirked. But then he got serious again. "Please don't misunderstand me. I would very much like to have you visiting more often. And possibly for longer stays. But when you discussed it with Chandra, it forced me to explain things I really would have preferred not to tell her."

John nodded. "Yeah. I kinda realized after we started talking about it at the reception that you hadn't told her everything."

His father sighed. "I didn't want her hurt. Can you understand that, son?"

"Yeah." John ran a hand over the silver cigar case on his father's desk. Even though he planned to never smoke, he wanted one of these for his desk someday when he had his own office. It looked really cool sitting there. Finally he asked the question he didn't really want to know the answer to. "Did she cry?"

"Actually, she only wanted to make certain that you were given the right to speak for yourself in the matter, John. And I agree. But I've been hesitant to say anything to you about it, because I don't want to put you in a difficult position."

His son searched his face for a long moment. Then he sighed. "You mean with Mom."

"I wouldn't bring it up to you even now, except that Chandra has convinced me that you deserve to have the right to choose for yourself how you want us to proceed. We'll ask for more visitation, if that's what you want. But I think you know that it won't be an easy task to get it."

John nodded. He felt almost like an adult, talking to his dad about these things. It was so cool that his father was trusting him to make decisions for himself. "I really like Chandra, and I want to spend more time with you guys. And if you want me too, then we should go for it. But – yeah. I know it could get pretty nasty. And Chandra doesn't need to see Mom at her worst. Why don't you let me talk to Mom about it first, and see how she reacts? It's possible that she's already realized that things would be different now."

Straker sighed. "John, I don't want to put your head on the chopping block. I am quite willing to have things done through our lawyers as much as possible."

"I know, Dad. And if it comes to that, then we should. But I think it will work easier coming from me. If Mom sees that this is something I want, then she's more likely to listen before she reacts."

Straker quirked a brow at his son. "It sounds to me as though you've figured out how to work with her, John. I'm glad. Sometimes I wondered how hard things were for you at home."

John sat next to him on the couch. "Well, it's never really been that bad, Dad. But then, she likes me." And his impish grin flashed as he met his father's eyes.

Straker chuckled and laid a bolstering hand on his shoulder. "I suppose that might have some bearing on it. Alright then. We'll leave things in your hands for now, son. And if you run into trouble, we'll try a different way. Agreed?"

John nodded firmly. "Agreed."

"Right. Shall we go tell Chandra what we've decided?"

"Yeah." John jumped up from the couch and headed for the door of the office. Then he turned to his father with a mischievous grin and said, "And I think I should ask her why she hates broccoli all of a sudden."

Straker's eyes twinkled back at him as he said, "I think you should, too."

***

Shakespeare stopped writing and glanced at his desk screen as Xanos appeared in its small space. "What is it, Xanos?" he asked the holographic computer.

"Head Librarian Shakespeare," the hologram whispered conspiratorially. "Government types just entered the Library from the Chronos portal, and they're headed your way."

The librarian's eyebrows rose. He hadn't been in any trouble that he knew of that would incur the wrath of the Government. At least, not lately. Although, if these officials were using the Chronos portal instead of the front doors, they could be from anywhen. "Thanks, Xanos. I appreciate the warning."

The hologram sighed dramatically before signing off, causing Shakespeare to grin in spite of himself. Odd quirks or not, Xanos had one thing going for him that his predecessors had not possessed: an ingrained loyalty. And for that reason alone, he was worth any price to the Head Librarian. Let the Board complain as much as they wanted about Xanos' flamboyance and his inability to be properly stoic. Shakespeare was never getting rid of him.

***

"Red alert! Red alert!" SID's mechanical voice droned over the loudspeakers in SHADO HQ as operatives hurried to battle positions.

Ginny walked unhurriedly out of Straker's office and came over to the radar. She leaned over Ford's shoulder as she looked at the screen and said, "How many, Lieutenant?"

"Three, Colonel," he answered. "Speed: SOL .8. Trajectory . . ." He turned to her after a moment spent listening to the chatter on his headphones. "Sir. They're splitting up, heading for different trajectories. Calculations, coming in now." He hit a button at his station, and the three separate coordinates flashed onto the screen above him.

Ginny hated when that happened. She wasn't nearly as conversant with longitude and latitude as the commander, but she refused to show any sign of weakness in front of the operatives. "Launch interceptors."

"Yes, sir. Moonbase, launch interceptors."

She walked back toward the office, determined to find out where those coordinates were on the globe. If Moonbase did its job, it might all be unimportant. But she wouldn't bank on it. To her way of thinking, when dealing with aliens, it was always better to know.

***

Long minutes later, she came back out of the office to hear Moonbase's report firsthand. "Yes, Gay?" she said as she stood in front of the monitor.

Lt. Ellis answered. "The interceptors got two of them, Colonel. The third got through, although possibly with some minor damage. That particular ship's trajectory is still the same, heading toward the equator near the Eastern coast of the United States."

"Thanks, Gay. We'll take it from here."

"Yes, Colonel."

Ginny turned from the monitor and said to Ford, "Launch Sky 1."

"Yes, sir."

She waited until Capt. Lewis radioed in before getting on the mike. "Carl, how badly did you hit it?"

Captain Lewis radioed back, "I can't be sure, Colonel. It didn't break up when it hit the surface, so I'd say that it still has some systems functioning."

"Right. Get us the coordinates, then head back in. Good job."

"Thank you, Colonel."

She turned to Lt. Ford. "Where is the commander tonight?"

The lieutenant said, "He's at home, Colonel."

She sighed. "I suppose he doesn't want to be disturbed?"

He shrugged. As far as he was concerned, the commander deserved every day off he could get. But no one ever asked his opinion. "Shall I call him in?" he asked.

"No. Wait! Get him on the phone for me, will you?" she said. "I'll let him decide if he needs to come in or not."

"Yes, Colonel."

***

John was awakened from a dream about enormous brownie fudge sundaes when the phone rang out in the living room. He looked at his clock. 12:34 am. Dad and Chandra had gone to their room quite a while ago, and he wondered if it would wake them up?

Yep. It woke one of them up, he could tell, when the ringing suddenly stopped mid-ring. He wondered why the studio so often called Dad this late? Couldn't they handle one night shoot without him there?

He sighed, plumped his pillow, and tried to go back to his dream.

***

"Straker."

Virginia spoke briskly into the phone to try to counteract the image that wanted to surface upon hearing that sleepy voice. "Sir. Sorry to bother you so late, but I thought you might want to know about this latest attack."

"Go ahead, Colonel," he said, his voice much more alert.

"We had three UFOs heading for separate trajectories. The interceptors got two of them, and Capt. Lewis damaged the third. It went down in the Atlantic, in the Sargasso Sea. We can send Skydiver 1 to investigate, but I thought you'd want to know that the trajectories of the three UFOs took them very close to SHADO research facilities. One in La Rochelle, France. Another in Lima, Peru. And the third in St. Augustine, Florida, USA."

There was silence for several moments over the phone line, but Virginia knew he hadn't fallen back asleep on her. The commander was thinking. Finally he said, "Get Paul up and send him to rendezvous with Skydiver 1. I want him to search that sea until he finds that UFO! Then alert all our research facilities. I want them aware that the components we sent them may act as homing beacons for the aliens. Especially since we found no single component that seemed to be one in Sydney. Have them stay at alert status until I get back to them. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." She paused a moment, then asked, "When should we expect you in?"

He sighed. There went his weekend with his son. Damn it. "I'll be in first thing in the morning, Colonel."

"Yes, sir. Good night."

As he hung up the phone, Chandra spoke from her side of the bed. "Will they need you all day, Ed?"

"I don't know," he said as he laid back down. "It could go either way. We'd better plan for it to take the whole day, just in case. I'll take John home in the morning on my way in to the studio."

"Wait, Ed. Why don't you leave him with me? He's been wanting to earn some money for that scooter he wants, and there are plenty of small chores around here that you never seem to get around to doing. We could make quite a day of it, and possibly have dinner ready when you get home."

He searched her eyes in the dim lighting of the bedroom. "You wouldn't mind?"

She grinned at him. "Now you're being silly."

He chuckled sleepily and leaned over to kiss her. "Thanks."

**Chapter 2**

Shakespeare looked up from his writing as two men entered his office. One glance at their firebush uniform tunics told him he was dealing with the Border Patrol. And the antique style of the tunics told him they were from at least a few hundred years ago. He breathed a cautious sigh of relief. They weren't here for him then.

"Gentlemen," he said with an assumption of cordiality. "How may the Library help you today?"

"Captain Jasp of the Border Patrol," the first man stated, showing his credentials, then motioning to the man next to him. "This is Inspector Turos. We're investigating an incident that occurred on Galactic Date 7025.2. Are you Head Librarian William Shakespeare?"

"Yes." Shakespeare held out his holographic ID for their inspection.

"Thank you, sir," Jasp said, nodding slightly to show that he accepted its information. "We need your assistance concerning our current case."

"_My_ assistance?" He wondered vaguely how this could have anything to do with him. He hadn't been alive over 350 years ago, which was when this incident had apparently occurred.

"Yes, sir," confirmed the official. "In searching the temporal database, we found that you have made frequent trips to Earth. Is that so?"

"Yes. I visit many places as a part of my job. Is there a problem with my going to Earth?"

"What time period?"

"Around the turn of the century. The late 1500's on into the early 1600's."

Captain Jasp took out a reference pad and consulted it. "Yes. We have record of those visits. However, it seems as though you have also visited another time period several times."

"Oh?" This was news to him.

Then the captain frowned. "Forgive me, sir. I misread the data. You have not as yet visited this particular time period more than once. Can you tell us what took you there?"

Shakespeare was starting to get a really bad feeling about this. And he had no intention of bringing his daughter into any discussion with the Border Patrol. "1985, right?" he asked, affecting a scholarly attitude. "I was doing background research on film making during that era. The topic had come up in my research, and I wanted the chance to explore it firsthand."

"Of course, sir. In the course of your research, did you come across any reference to an organization or place called SHADO?"

"_What?_"

Jasp looked at him coolly, as if he'd been wanting to shock him. He unhurriedly took a small evidence bag out of his tunic pocket and handed it to the librarian, saying calmly, "Do you recognize this symbol?"

Shakespeare took the bag, but grimaced and set it down on his desk when he saw what it contained. It was unnecessary for him to be careful; the bag was hermetically sealed. But inside it lay the torn and bloody badge from one of SHADO's operative's uniforms. He recognized the fabric from his brief foray into the halls of the organization. It was an undistinguished off-white, and for some odd reason, seemed to be their color of choice. But the logo he could not fail to recognize. That circle containing the silhouette of a man and his shadow had stayed with him long after he'd left the planet to return home.

"Yes. I recognize it," he said, knowing that they would be fairly sure of it themselves before coming to see him. He sincerely hoped that they could not access his personal diary. But with the government, one never knew. He would have to find a better way of storing his journal in the future than on his PD.

Captain Jasp smiled encouragingly. It was not necessarily a reassuring smile. "Can you tell us what the name means and what their function was?"

_Straker, I sincerely hope this doesn't earn you a visit from the Border Patrol_, Shakespeare thought to himself. But aloud he said, "Yes, of course, gentlemen. SHADO stands for Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization. It's an acronym."

Jasp frowned for a moment. "They were an organization set up to defend aliens?"

"No," corrected the librarian. "They were set up to defend_ against_ them. Earth was being invaded."

The captain nodded, evidently pleased by this information. "I see. Do you know what race was invading?"

Shakespeare said, "I believe it was the Thoelians."

The captain exchanged a long look with the inspector before turning back to the Head Librarian. "Thank you, sir, for your assistance in this matter." He accepted the evidence bag back from him and continued. "Please be aware that our conversation has been recorded, and it will be unlikely that you will need to be present at any formal hearing resulting from the information you have given us today. However, if that should change, please know that the government apologizes for any inconvenience appearing in court may cause you."

"Of course." _Damned officious nonsense! _But he kept his cordial smile in place until they had left his office. Then he sat back in his chair with a heavy sigh and thought, _Chandra, what unholy mess have you landed us in this time? _

***

"Why send Paul?"

Straker looked up from reading reports to find Alec in his office. He sat back in his chair and said, "Hello, Alec. I wasn't sure you'd be in today. Didn't your flight from New York just get in?"

Freeman got himself a drink from the corner dispenser before sitting in the chair in front of Straker's desk. "Just about. It arrived at Heathrow at about 7:35. Allowed me enough time to go home and get a shower before coming here."

"You didn't need to do that," his friend said. "Col. Lake's here. And I'm here. You should go home and enjoy the rest of your day. Work will still be here tomorrow, you know."

Alec grinned. "Oh, I don't doubt that. But honestly, Ed. You're supposed to be the one at home today. Did you have to take John home early?"

Straker smiled sweetly. "No. Chandra has him doing chores at our home to earn money for that scooter he's wanting to buy."

Freeman shook his head. "Isn't he a little young for that, Ed?"

"Better watch it, Alec. You're starting to sound almost patriarchal."

"Well, if you're going to insult me . . ."

Straker chuckled. It was good to have Alec back home. He'd been in New York for several days overseeing upgrades at the New York Tracking station. And moonlighting as well at a few important studio functions in the evenings. It was the kind of work he enjoyed the most, but his friend always missed him when he was gone.

"He'll be fine, Alec. It's going to take him so long to earn enough for the scooter, he'll be quite capable of riding it by the time he gets it."

"If you say so." The colonel didn't sound convinced. "But seriously, Ed. I can work with Ginny on this. You should go home. You only get this sliver of time with him every month. You've got to milk it for all its worth, not be stuck here reading reports."

The commander sighed. "I know. But it's important for me to be here when Skydiver 1 makes contact with that UFO, Alec. Foster will need a firm hand at the controls. He's not used to combat conditions under these circumstances."

"Yeah. I was wondering why you sent him?"

"It's all a part of that new command restructuring we talked about. Foster is only strong on Moonbase, and I don't want to limit him to that base alone. Some of his skills are useful in other areas. But he's never handled a crisis here at HQ – or on Skydiver. He needs the experience. The chance to show what he's made of. And face it, Alec. We need him to be more versatile than he is right now."

The colonel met his eyes and nodded, but said tentatively after a moment, "He has handled a crisis on Skydiver before, Ed."

"Oh? When?"

"A few years ago, when we had that submarine smash-up."

"Oh. That." Straker was silent for several minutes. He was sure they were both thinking about that crisis and the difficulties it had presented. "Yes, he was there, Alec," he said finally. "But he wasn't in command. And it makes all the difference – when you're the one in charge."

The colonel's eyes dropped after a moment, and he contemplated the contents of his glass. He would not soon forget the feeling of helplessness he'd endured aboard the rescue plane, when his friend and commander had been left in the damaged sub deep underwater – without breathable air and with no way to escape to the surface. Yeah. Being the one in charge definitely made a difference in a crisis situation.

"So you think he'll run into trouble?" he asked finally.

"Let's hope not," Straker said briskly, throwing off gloomy memories. "The Sargasso Sea has incredible visibility, to well below 60 meters."

"Yeah, but isn't it really deep? 5000 meters at its lowest point? Skydiver can't go that deep."

Straker got up and went to the underwater map sitting on the conference table. He'd studied it earlier and now showed Alec several locations on it. "Look, Alec. That UFO's damaged. There's no way it will be able to handle the pressure of those depths. I think it'll sit on one of these outcroppings, trying to be invisible while they work to repair their ship. It's what we would do."

Freeman noted the ledges he showed him. After a moment, he nodded. "So it'll be like shooting fish in a barrel then."

The commander smiled wryly. "Not exactly. It won't be easy to find a UFO among all the rock formations. But the increased visibility will be in our favor. So in the end, it'll just be a matter of spotting them – before they spot us."

"And you think Foster can handle that?"

Straker's expression tightened. "He'd better."

***

"I thought maybe one or two trees further back and then one up by the patio. What do you think, John?"

John looked at the yard with a critical eye, trying to visualize what his stepmother wanted. "That sounds good," he said. "What kinds of trees are you planning on using?"

Chandra said, "Fruit trees."

"Cool!" he said, then frowned as he thought about it some more. "Um, Chandra. You may not want a fruit tree right up by the patio."

"Why not? The shade would be welcome on hot days."

"Yeah," he agreed. "But the bees wouldn't."

"Bees," she said, and gave a sigh. "I hadn't considered bees. Okay. Where else could we put it?"

He glanced around, finally pointing to a spot in the side yard that looked a little bare. "Over there, maybe?"

She turned and looked. "Oh, yes. I like that much better." It was near where she and Ed had sat that first morning, watching dawn arrive over the horizon. Having a tree there as a reminder was a great idea.

She gave her helper a long look. "Are you sure you're up for this? It'll be a lot of lifting and digging."

He shrugged, outwardly nonchalant, but inwardly excited. He loved working in the soil, but rarely got the chance. But on those rare occasions, it had always made him feel like his grandpa, a horticulturist connected with the earth. "Sure. No problem."

"Okay then. Let's head out to the nursery and get us some trees."

They headed back indoors to close up the house. John turned to her once the limo pulled out of the drive and asked, "So, do you have any particular kind of fruit tree in mind, or will anything do?"

"Oh. I don't know," Chandra said. "I just like fruit. Oranges, especially. Maybe orange trees?"

John laughed, thinking she was joking. Until he saw her honest bewilderment. Then he turned his laugh into a cough and said, "Uh, Chandra. Orange trees won't grow in this climate. It gets too cold."

"Oh. Climate. Right." She hadn't thought of that. Even after all her time on this planet, there were still so many things she wasn't used to. Climate was one of them. She could hardly explain to Ed's son that where she had been raised, pesky things like climate were strictly controlled and would never be an issue when planting. So. How did she manage to keep from sounding like even more of an idiot? "Well, I suppose we could just check out the selection that the nursery has and pick our favorites from there. What do you think?"

John looked at her in surprise. "I get to help pick out the trees?"

"Well, sure," she said. "You're a part of this adventure, after all."

He grinned. Chandra was the kindest woman John had ever met. She was also the strangest girl he had ever met. In many ways, she was deeply aware of the world around her, noticing so much that other adults missed. But at the same time, she could be so unaware of small basic things about life in general. In a way, she was a bit of a contradiction. A puzzle waiting to be solved. And he wondered if it might not be that aspect about her that drew his dad's interest?

Other than her obvious beauty, of course. But he knew his dad wouldn't be swayed by that alone. Dad worked with beautiful women every day. John couldn't wait until he was old enough to get a job at the studio. Babes everywhere. Every day. Man. Maybe he'd get so used to it that he'd be like his dad, indifferent to it all. Then he sighed. It hadn't happened so far. He usually ended up struck dumb every time an actress asked him a question. Then he'd turn beet red and look even more stupid. But he could see himself one day walking around the lots, completely ignoring all of them like his dad did. Yeah. That was a cool picture. And much better than the reality.

He smiled to himself as the limo headed down the highway, lost in a pleasurable daydream where beautiful starlets begged for a moment of his time.

***

The Chairman was not happy with the report. He tapped the bright folder against his hand and said sternly, "This is a strong accusation, Clard. I cannot take such a case to the Council without more evidence."

Chief Inspector Clard of the Border Patrol gave him a respectful nod. "I understand. We are willing to pursue the matter further, Mr. Chairman. However, to do so we will require the services of a more (shall we say) _elite_ agency in order to get the needed facts."

The Chairman did not pretend to misunderstand. He turned to his desk holographic computer and said, "Get me Security Officer Thorne."

Minutes later, the door to his office opened and a trim man of medium height entered the room. His dark hair receded in ordered waves back from his forehead, allowing his dark gray eyes to dominate his rather narrow face. The Chief Inspector revised his first unflattering impression of the man when those gray eyes met his for a moment before passing on to meet the Chairman's eyes. Clard felt as if every detail of his appearance had been noted in that brief glance.

"Sir," Thorne said briskly, giving a brief nod of respect to the Chairman. "How may I help you?"

The Chairman gestured to Clard. "This is Chief Inspector Clard of the Border Patrol. His people have found evidence that the Thoelians may have targeted a lesser developed civilization to prey upon. If we can prove this accusation beyond any doubt . . ."

The security officer nodded as the Chairman trailed off. He quite understood the ramifications if such a thing were to be proven. "Of course, sir. My team will get right on it."

"Thank you, Thorne," the Chairman said, handing him the bright folder that contained the report. "Keep me advised as to your progress."

The security officer nodded once more, then left the room.

The Chairman looked at Clard. "I expect you to keep your men quiet about this until it comes before the Council."

"That's not a problem, sir," replied the chief inspector. "Jasp is completely trustworthy. As is our medical inspector."

"Good. Now get out of my sight, Jethro. You're bad news."

Clard grinned rather ruefully. "Don't shoot the messenger, George," he said as he left the office.

The Chairman only grunted in reply.

***

Foster sat in the captain's cabin of Skydiver 1 and tried to feel as though he belonged there. Instead of Peter. But Straker had sent Peter to Moonbase two weeks ago, leaving Skydiver 1 in Captain Lewis' hands. Lewis was a good man and knew the submarine well. But Paul was aware that Straker wanted a command team member on this particular hunt.

It had been a long time since he'd been in one of the subs. He'd always enjoyed his sojourns on the sturdy submarines – until the crash-up he'd been a part of a few years back. Since then, he'd found rather ingenious ways of minimizing his time onboard. That crash had left him with nightmares for weeks afterward. The odd thing was, the nightmares had never been about him. He was merely the observer. All the nightmares had been about the Commander. And in every scenario, he had watched helplessly – screaming and pounding against an invisible wall that separated them – as his commander suffocated in the crashed sub.

He knew without bothering to be psycho-analyzed why the dreams were like that. It had been perhaps the hardest thing he'd ever done to leave his Commander alone down there while he himself escaped to the surface. And it hadn't changed his feelings of anguish much when the Commander managed to survive anyway. It had taken a long time before he'd felt anything about the situation other than a strong sense of having betrayed his leader for leaving him there.

Now here he was, being sent on the same kind of cat-and-mouse mission that had resulted in the crash-up before. Except that now,_ he_ was the commanding officer.

**Chapter 3**

The lounge was one of her favorite places. It was decorated in bright colors and well-lit by the numerous floor to ceiling windows that covered the walls. The many couches were designed for comfort first, which was a plus, although the searing colors also helped to stimulate the brain. She noticed as she approached them that even though the clear sunny windows gave an airy feel to the room, that was deceptive – because the security screens were active, making them opaque from the outside.

She chose one of the fuchsia chairs and relaxed into it, allowing its contours to fit themselves to her form and make her comfortable. She closed her eyes to slits as she laid her head back, watching the rest of the group while seeming to be oblivious to them. Guisse perched on the edge of the lime couch as if he thought it might swallow him whole if he sat back. Aniti took up an entire couch as she draped across the cushions on her stomach, her cheek resting on her arms. And Lenoy relaxed fully into his chosen chair, although his brow occasionally furrowed as he adjusted the instrument in his hands.

When Thorne entered the room a few minutes later, none of them made any indication that it mattered, even though she was aware that they all went to alert status. He did not choose one of the comfortable couches – but then, she didn't think she'd ever seen him sit down in all the years she'd worked for him. Instead, he paced the outer perimeter of the room, circling the couches and chairs where they sat.

"We have a situation," he informed them abruptly, but didn't seem to be perturbed when they showed no reaction to his words. "The Chairman has asked that we look into allegations that the Thoelians might be preying on a weaker civilization."

He got a reaction then. Aniti lifted her head and spat out a curse. Guisse rubbed his hands together in agitation, and Lenoy nearly dropped his mechanism. The only reaction she gave was to utter a low growl.

Thorne nodded as if they'd just discussed everything at length. "Exactly," he said. "Our operation is two-fold. First, we require extensive information on the current sociological climate of the planet in question in order to ascertain how widespread the Thoelian incursions might be. And second, we need infiltrators into an organization we've been made aware of which may have been set up to combat those incursions."

Guisse spoke up. "I'll scour the temporal database for reports from visitors to the planet, concentrating on those from the time period in question."

"The time period is now," Thorne said brusquely. "And the planet is Earth."

Aniti scowled. "Never heard of it. Say, Rose. You ever hear of Earth?"

"I have," Lenoy said, setting aside his apparatus and linking his hands loosely at his knees. "My brother spent a vacation there sailing around the planet on its vast oceans with some sailor named Magellan. Why would the Thoelians be interested in such a place? According to my brother, it's more water than land."

"Think about it, Lenoy," Rose said quietly. "More water than land means that the available land masses would be isolated from each other by large expanses of ocean. Much harder to unite in order to protect from invasion."

Thorne grinned. He couldn't have said it better himself. Rose was a consummate strategist, among her other useful skills. He'd hand-picked her along with the rest of his team from the Field Office in whatever time period they lived in because of the unique skills that made them the exemplary operatives that they were. Rose was from the 73rd century – Chronos' final years of glory. She was a gifted blender, as well as a woman who could think on her feet. She certainly hadn't been chosen for her beauty. Although he supposed if he'd been a lesser man, she might have been. He thought she was one of the most stunning women he had ever met. Which made it even more remarkable that she blended so well into any environment she was placed in.

"Rose is right," he told the team now. "They're a fragmented race. Probably easy prey for predators like the Thoelians. It's fortunate that we are aware of this organization that is fighting them. It will give us an opportunity to get evidence directly from the source."

"We'll need it," Aniti said. "The Council won't stand against a planet in the Alliance without incontrovertible proof of their treachery."

"Exactly. Guisse, once we have your preliminary report on the planet, I want you to focus on this organization SHADO. We'll need to know them well if we plan to infiltrate."

"Got it," Guisse said.

"Lenoy, we're going to need micro-recorders – and I want them powered with duritium."

The technician groaned.

Thorne's lips twitched, but he said firmly, "I'm not having vital evidence lost because of a faulty power cell. Understand?"

"Yes, Chief," Lenoy said with a sigh. "But do you understand that it'll take time to outfit the recorders with that type of power cell? They're not even from the same technological century."

"Then I suggest you get to work on it," was all that Thorne would say.

Lenoy got up from his chair with another sigh and ambled out of the lounge. Guisse, after exchanging a glance with their boss, followed him out to begin his research.

"What do you need me for?" Aniti asked once they were gone.

"Don't be silly," Rose told her. "We're the second wave. The infiltrators into the organization."

When Thorne nodded, Aniti grinned. She stood up and stretched, saying, "Who will I bed this time, I wonder? I hope he has nice hands."

Thorne chuckled. The 59th century woman could get anyone to talk – once she'd worn them out. "I'll see what I can do for you, Aniti."

"Yea for me!" she said, doing a little jig on her way out of the lounge.

When Rose remained seated, he came around the couches and met her eyes. "Problem?" he asked.

She sighed. "My daughter's been giving me some grief about my work. She thinks I'll die as a result of a jump I'll be making in the near future."

He frowned. "She's a jumper too, isn't she?" he asked, trying to remember her background file.

"Yes."

His keen gray eyes searched her face for a long moment. "If you want out of this one, I'll see if I can get a replacement."

She shook her head. "I think we both know how well that will go over with the Security Division. But thanks for the offer. I'm not afraid to do my job, Thorne. But I thought you should know that there could be – complications."

He was silent for a while, pacing the room as he considered. Finally he turned back to where she sat on the fuchsia chair. "Alright," he said. "We'll keep a close watch on you while you're there and be ready to pull you out at a moment's notice."

"I appreciate it." And she did. His concern for his operatives was one of the reasons she continued to work for him, despite his reputation as a hardass.

"And Rosetta," he said as she headed for the door. "I expect you to be extra-careful while you're on Earth. I don't want to lose my best blender. Your kind aren't easy to replace."

She grinned. "Not a problem, Chief. I know how to protect my ass."

He didn't allow himself to smile until she had closed the door behind her. She did have an excellent ass – well worth protecting. He sincerely hoped she was able to keep herself out of trouble during this mission. Her husband was a bit of a hothead, and Thorne had no intention of incurring his wrath by not taking extra care with his wife.

***

"What's the situation, Paul?"

Foster's relieved grin on the viewscreen had Alec chuckling before he'd even given his report to the commander.

"Nothing to it, sir," the colonel told them. "The ship was in pretty bad shape when we found it. I don't think their weapons systems were even functional. When we rounded that ledge and saw them, for a moment we were as wide open as they were. But they didn't even fire. Our first volley tore their hull to shreds. The ocean did the rest."

"Good job, Paul," Straker said. "Let me know if the salvage crews find anything useful in the wreckage."

"Right. Foster, out." And the viewscreen went blank.

Straker sat back in his HQ office chair and watched Alec get himself a celebratory drink from the corner cabinet. "Well, Alec? What do you think?"

Freeman took his time answering, first making himself comfortable in the chair in front of the commander's desk. "He did well for his first time, Ed. And he got lucky."

"Yes." Straker took the small glass globe off its stand on his desk and toyed with it as he considered all the ways the mission could have gone differently. "Very lucky," he finally concluded. "But as you know, Alec – most of what we do depends on luck. And being in the right place at the right time."

"I suppose you'll give him a commendation for it."

The commander nodded. "I'll need to read his complete report on the mission first, but I think he deserves it for taking care of the situation so well. It couldn't have been easy for him. He's been avoiding Skydiver patrol for a long time. Hopefully, he's gotten a little confidence back now."

Alec looked at him in surprise. "I didn't know that," he said. "That he'd been avoiding Skydiver. Why'd you let him get away with it?"

Straker shrugged. "It wasn't an issue. At least, not until recently, when we decided to make our command team global. But I expect his success with this mission will make him more amenable to Skydiver duty in the future. See to it, won't you, Alec?"

"Sure." Alec finished his drink and took the glass back to the cabinet. Then he turned to his commanding officer and said, "Now will you go home?"

"Hmmm?" Straker asked, still toying with the glass globe, his mind elsewhere. When he met his friend's gaze, he finally focused on what he'd said. He grinned. "Right. Home. That sounds like a wonderful idea, Alec." He looked at his watch. "I believe my wife may even have dinner waiting for me when I get there."

"Lucky you," Freeman said with an answering grin. It did his heart good to see the commander being so well cared for. Chandra deserved a few medals herself for all that she did to make their overworked commanding officer's life easier. He doubted if they gave out medals for the work she did. But in his opinion, they should.

**Chapter 4**

She was standing on the patio in her robe, toying with the pendant to her necklace when he located her after his shower.

"You look sad."

Chandra met his eyes as he came outside. "It's just . . . I was remembering yesterday. How much fun it was."

He drew her back into his arms and buried his face at her neck, breathing in her special scent. "The trees look wonderful. You both did an outstanding job planting them."

She nodded, bringing her arms forward to hold his, but she didn't say anything.

After a few minutes, he said, "That shouldn't make you sad." He turned her in his arms and lifted her face with a lean hand on her chin. He stared into her expressive eyes for a long time. Then he sighed and laid his forehead against hers. "I miss him too."

She wrapped her arms around him for a hug. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

After a while, he said, "Maybe things will work out for us to get him more often. He thinks he might be able to persuade her to agree to it."

"What do you think?" she asked softly.

He grimaced. "I try not to get my hopes up when dealing with John's mother. It's less painful that way."

"But he's a clever boy."

He grinned suddenly. "Yes. He is, isn't he? Well, he might be able to bring it off. We can only wait and see, darling."

"I know." She drew back and gave him a smile. "My bet's on him."

He raised a brow at her. "Well, I'm certainly not going to bet against him."

She laughed softly. "Smart man." As she turned to head back inside to get dressed for the day, the pendant she wore caught a sunbeam and flashed in his eyes.

"What is that?" he asked her, reaching out to take it into his hand. Chandra seldom bothered with much jewelry, but he realized that she had been wearing this necklace often lately. The long crystal pendant looked like citrine, although he couldn't be certain. "It's pretty. Where did you get it?"

She had frozen when he had taken the pendant in his hand, and now she looked at him somewhat warily. "Dad gave it to me."

"Oh. At the wedding?"

She dropped her eyes after a moment, but not before he caught her expression. He was so shocked that he stepped back from her.

"Chandra?"

She swallowed. "No, Ed. Not at the wedding."

He continued to stare at her, not sure he wanted to ask his next question. "Were you planning to _lie_ to me about it?"

She met his eyes fleetingly, then dropped them again. Her fingers came around the pendant in a protective move that he couldn't fail to notice. "No. Yes. I was thinking about it." She shrugged sadly. "I've never been a very good liar."

"That's not such a bad thing, all in all, Chandra," he said sternly.

After a few minutes of silence, he asked softly, "Why did you feel it necessary to lie to me? Surely we can trust each other?"

She met his eyes in surprise. "It's not about trust, Ed."

"Isn't it?"

She shook her head, going over to one of the lounge chairs and sitting down wearily on it. "I can't . . . it's hard for me to talk about it. So I thought I'd just say he gave it to me at the wedding, since you offered me that way out of it."

He thought about that for a moment as he came over and sat on the chair next to her. "Chandra, when_ did_ your father give you the necklace?"

After a few minutes, she looked up and met his eyes. Hers were dark with painful memories, and he almost changed his mind about pursuing the topic. But he needed to know what would make her feel the need to lie to him.

"When I visited him after . . . after you died."

He couldn't imagine what would take her to see her father when her husband was dead and SHADO in danger. "You went to see him at the Globe Theatre again?"

She shook her head. "I visited him at the Library."

That stumped him for a minute. "You told me that your people didn't have a way back to the Library once you all escaped."

"Yes. That's true. You need a pass to get back to the Library after a visit on a planet. And none of us were going back, so no passes were issued."

He looked searchingly at her. "So, how did you get there?"

She just looked at him mutely, her violet eyes full of misery.

Straker stood up suddenly and strode to the edge of the patio. He stood there for a moment before swinging around and pinning her with his eyes. "You didn't . . . ? Chandra, tell me you didn't commandeer a Thoelian ship!"

"Do you want me to try and lie to you again, Ed?" she asked in a small voice.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep the image from forming of his dear wife running off with one of the enemy's ships for a short trip home. Then he thought of something. "Wait a minute. Isn't Chronos in ruins? What good would a ship do you?"

She looked surprised. "No, Ed. Chronos is fine. The planet is destroyed approximately 360 Earth years from now."

"Oh." He had often wondered if it hurt her to find her star in the sky and think of everything gone. Now he realized that when she looked at her star, she was still seeing it alive and full of vitality. "Then why . . . ?"

"Why did I choose this time?" she asked with a small smile. "Well, Earth in the future is a pretty noisy place, Ed. And I wanted quiet, remember?"

He was suddenly overwhelmed with the intricacies of fate that had brought her to him – not just to his island, which had always been mind-boggling to him. But to his _time period_. "_Chandra!_" he breathed, almost afraid to say the words out loud.

But she understood, holding out a hand for him to take as he returned to his chair. "I know. What were the odds? But I've never been sorry that I ended up on your island. Have you?"

"Never," he said emphatically. "How could I be? You're by far the best thing that has ever happened to me." After a few minutes, he seemed to finally catch her first comment. He turned to her swiftly, saying in surprise, "Chandra! You've been to Earth 300 plus years in the future?"

She shrugged. "Yeah. It's not as pretty as it is now. I like a more natural setting."

He interrupted her. "You mean – we made it? We survived the Thoelians?"

She was surprised. "Well, of course, Ed."

He looked at her for a moment in exasperation, then sat back on the lounge chair with a sigh. "You might have told me."

She grinned at his tone. "I thought it was a given."

He shook his head at her. "Your confidence in me is rather exaggerated, you know."

"So _you_ say."

***

Straker entered the building and took off his sunglasses. The director of Westbrook Electronics, Don Bernard, came scurrying across the tiled foyer to greet him.

"Welcome to Silicon Valley, sir," he said, a little out of breath. He extended his hand and shook the commander's. "We're very happy to see you here today. I understand you'd like to inspect our work on the Utronics project. I'll take you around myself to see it."

"Thank you." Straker wondered how soon he could get rid of the man. He intended to ask the team detailed questions about the project, and he didn't want to be given the standard bullshit line from their boss in answer.

Bernard led the commander down a hallway toward the labs. Once they were keyed into the restricted area, he introduced Straker to the project leader, Virginia Lake.

She was a no-nonsense woman with a clear vision, and the commander was favorably impressed with her. And distinctly annoyed by two things. First was the way the director overrode all her answers to his questions in a condescending manner. And second, the way he continually eyed her as if she was a piece of juicy meat.

Straker gave her full marks for not only refraining from slapping the man, but for eventually getting rid of him in a very adroit fashion. Once he left the lab, Miss Lake relaxed, giving Straker a smile and voluntarily expounding on his last question.

At one point during his tour of the lab, he asked a technician about their current task. The tech looked up at him from where she sat at the console, inputting numbers into a handheld device. He was immediately struck by her face, which although it was classically beautiful, was made unforgettable by a pair of intense violet eyes.

"We're calibrating the frequency, sir," Rose told him. "It's important to have it exact to get the best reading. At the speeds they'll be traveling, we can't afford to be off by so much as a thousandth of a hertz."

"I see. Thank you."

He passed on with the project leader to inspect the rest of the equipment, but Rose's eyes followed him closely. He was a bit of a puzzle, actually. Although dressed in civilian clothes, he carried himself like a military leader. And he was entirely focused on what he was doing, not allowing himself to be sidetracked by other stimuli. In fact, he treated the entire team with a courteous, but detached air that couldn't fail to be a balm to those who'd dealt with Bernard for any length of time.

He had certainly reacted when she had met his gaze; she couldn't fail to notice how his pupils had dilated for a moment. But he had not pursued that initial response. Instead he had acknowledged her answer almost indifferently before moving on. It intrigued her. Only two men she had met in the course of her life had exhibited that much self-control. One of them she had worked with for nearly ten years now. And the other she had married. She wondered idly what Will would think of this Straker?

Then she grinned to herself as she wondered how Aniti was making out with the other target: Alec Freeman.

***

Straker noticed Chandra's necklace again as she absently toyed with it, and he was immediately reminded of their original topic. His expression tightened, and he asked her quietly, "Chandra, why did you take one of their ships? What did you need to see your father about that was so important that you would try something so dangerous?"

Her eyes dropped to the contemplation of her hands, which she clasped together in her lap. "It wasn't like that, Ed. I didn't steal their ship. I just . . ." Here she shrugged. "Took over the controls once I dealt with them."

He gasped. "You . . . ! They _captured_ you?"

She nodded miserably. "It's not . . . I don't like to think about it. It was . . . difficult."

He came over to her chair and brought her into his arms. "I'm sorry, darling. I know. I know it's hard." And he did. In the month since the aliens' aborted attempt on his life in Sydney, she had been plagued with nightmares. Not every night. But often enough that he had noticed. He had hated the thought of her hurting, but he also had not wanted to ask her to tell him about them. He well knew that there was nothing in the world worse than enduring a nightmare – even indirectly by recounting it.

But even he had not realized the extent of the horror she had endured. He took her by the shoulders and made her meet his eyes. "Did they hurt you? Chandra?"

She shook her head. "It wasn't like that, Ed. I wasn't in that much danger, really."

"_Really?_" His reply dripped with sarcasm. He could hardly imagine a more dangerous situation.

She shook her head at his tone. "Do you want to hear me tell this? Or would you prefer to tell it?"

He took a deep breath, then said, "Please. Tell me the rest."

"There isn't that much else. I took the ship to Chronos, because I don't know enough about Thoelian technology to try to out-maneuver the interceptors back at Earth."

"Yes, I see," he said. "And you needed to visit your father at the Library, because he could send you back here in order to change how everything happened."

"Yes."

Suddenly, his hands tightened on her shoulders as he remembered her comment about 'dealing with them.' "Chandra," he said in a dangerously quiet voice. "How did you _deal _with the Thoelians onboard the ship?"

"Um . . ."

He pulled her into his arms, crushing her against him as he said fiercely, "Tell me you were armed. Please tell me you didn't do something so crazy . . . so _insane_ . . . !" When she said nothing, he closed his eyes. "God, Chandra! You _jumped?_"

She nodded.

"_In a spaceship?_"

She met his eyes bravely. "It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, Ed. It just took a little extra focusing to make sure I ended up close to where I began."

He closed his eyes again, trying to shut out the images that wanted to crowd in his mind. To someone like him with a physics background, the thought of the risks she'd taken was hair-raising. Hell, to anyone with an imagination, it was horrifying! "Now _I_ am going to have nightmares!" he said caustically.

"Ed!"

He looked ruefully at her. "I love you, darling. You know that, right?"

"Yes." Although she wouldn't swear to it after that last comment he'd made.

He kissed her, then held her tightly once more. "Well, I have to tell you that sometimes you absolutely terrify me."

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Ed."

He rubbed her arms gently. "Chandra, you did what you had to in order to survive. I realize that. I'm just beginning to realize why you are still having nightmares."

She didn't think he understood _at all _about her nightmares, but she was hardly going to point that out to him. So instead she said, "I love you."

He kissed her hair. "And so you should," he said drily. "After giving me so many gray hairs."

She chuckled. "You don't have any gray hairs. They just turn white. So you're even blonder than before. Big deal."

He grinned and hugged her, then said with a sigh, "They may not be gray on the outside, but they sure feel gray to me."

***

She was in the shower when he suddenly pulled back the curtain. She yelped in surprise. "What? What's wrong?"

"I just realized," he said. "Alec's two Chandras."

She finished rinsing off, then shut off the water as he absently handed her the towel. "Okay. You're not making much sense. Give me a minute until my heart gets back to a normal rate, and I'll try to figure out what you just said."

He went on as though she hadn't spoken. "How did you do it? When you came through the portal from the Library to change what had happened, that would have meant that there were two of you. The Chandra who was already in that timeframe. And you – the Chandra who had just returned to Earth from Chronos. A time travel paradox. And Alec, that heathen who never once appreciated the fascination of quantum physics, was there to see it. It's so unfair. What happened? Wasn't it extremely dangerous? Did the Chandra from that timeframe poof out of existence?"

She shook her head at him. She loved her husband. She really did. But sometimes he was completely oblivious to what was going on around him. Like people trying to get a shower, for example. The world in his mind could be so all-encompassing that it simply didn't leave room for those smaller details.

She gestured to the shirt he was still holding. Evidently he'd gotten his latest brainstorm in the middle of dressing. "Are you going to finish getting dressed?"

"What?" He looked down at his shirt and seemed to realize what he'd been doing. "Oh." He quickly donned it, then followed her out of the bathroom as she went to the closet for a dress.

"Well? What happened?"

She gestured to his shoes, and he absently slid into them while she sat and put on her nylons. "Nobody poofed, Ed. I don't know where you get your ideas sometimes. It doesn't happen like that."

"Then where did she go?"

She put on her shoes and picked up her brush to run through her wet hair. After one look in the mirror at his intent expression, she also handed him his comb to put his own hair in order. "We reintegrated, Ed. And before you ask, it's where a jumper recombines with themself in a different timeframe. She disappeared, because she merged with me. She didn't _poof_. That sounds so . . . silly."

"Fascinating," he said. "Reintegration? So, you have the combined memories of both of you?"

"Right." She quickly blow dried her hair while he donned his gun harness and jacket.

He thought about that idea for a minute. Suddenly being bombarded with thoughts and emotions you hadn't experienced. Having no warning before memories of a traumatic event poured into your mind. "That must have been . . . difficult," he said at last.

She met his eyes in the mirror and sighed. "Yes. I told you."

He came up behind her, putting his arms around her to offer comfort. "I don't think I realized just how much you were understating the situation until now." He kissed her jawline in his favorite place, then whispered in her ear, "So. Which Chandra are you? Mine? Or the other Straker's?"

She giggled and kissed him before heading out of the room. "Guess!"

***

"I expected a longer report, Aniti," he said quietly.

She shrugged before throwing herself into the nearest chair. "The man drank me under the table, Thorne. Tell me how easy that was to accomplish!"

The Security Officer's lips twitched, but he forced the frown back onto his face as he said, "He didn't give us much."

She sighed. "He could give lessons on being ambiguous. I couldn't pin him down to anything." Then she smiled suddenly. "But – hey! He had great hands."

"I'm sure that will help us build a case for the Council," he said waspishly, pacing the room.

She took the rebuke with another shrug, saying, "Maybe Rose will have more for us when she reports in."

***

On the drive to the studio, he looked over at her and said, "Will you tell me about your necklace? Was it your mother's? Is that why your father gave it to you?"

Chandra turned to him in surprise. With everything else they'd discussed, the original topic of the necklace had been forgotten. "Oh. No, it wasn't one of my mom's. It's a pass."

"To the Library?" he asked, astonished.

"Yes."

"So you could visit him there?"

She shrugged. "That. But mostly he wanted me to have a second option if I ever got into trouble again."

"I appreciate his thoughtfulness," he said. "Why didn't he think of it sooner?"

"Ed," she scolded. "He also wanted me to be able to visit my mom any time I wanted."

He looked over at her. "Would you?"

"Of course," she said. "In fact, I did."

"When you were there on Chronos?"

She nodded, looking slightly sheepish. "I knew I needed to get back to Earth, Ed, and fix things here. But I . . ." She drew a breath. "I needed a little time first. And it wouldn't have made any difference as far as when I got back anyway."

"You don't have to justify it to me, Chandra," he said. "I understand completely."

"You do? Oh. Well. Okay."

"So how was your mother?" he asked after a moment. He wondered idly how bizarre their conversation would seem to an outsider who was unaware of the unique circumstances of Chandra's life. How often did men ask their wives about their dead mothers' health, after all?

She smiled. "She was having a good day. We talked quite a bit."

"About?" he asked, intrigued by her soft smile.

"Oh. Just things. You, mostly."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"What did you say about me?"

She grinned at his worried expression. "Nothing bad, Ed. Just that she would have liked you, because you're a lot like Daddy."

"Good grief! You told her I was like your father? Chandra!"

"What? You are."

He met her eyes and decided not to debate the issue. Instead he said, "If you say so. I'm glad you got to spend some time with her. Did it help?"

"Yes. Very much," she said, fingering the pendant.

He suddenly remembered how wary she had been when he'd first asked about her necklace. "Did you think I wouldn't let you keep the pass, Chandra? Is that why you didn't want to talk about it?"

"No, Ed. Of course not. Why wouldn't you want me to have it?"

Straker was a little confused. "Then why . . . ?"

She sighed. "Because I didn't want to tell you about all of this, Ed. About everything that happened."

"I see." He glanced at her as he drove onto the lots. "I'm sorry that I made you speak about it, darling, but I think it was definitely time for me to know what happened to you."

She turned to him with a soft smile. "I'm not sorry that I told you, Ed. I don't know why, but I feel better about it now. As if the weight of it is gone. Does that make any sense to you?"

He slid into his parking space, then pulled her into his arms for a lengthy kiss. "Perfect sense."

**Chapter 5**

"Any problems?" he asked her as he prowled his office.

She knew what he meant and shook her head, leaning back into the comfortable chair as if exhausted. "But if I don't kill Don Bernard, it'll be a miracle."

Thorne glanced up from her report with a grin. "Lech?" he asked facetiously. "Or perv?"

Rose grimaced. "Both!"

He chuckled. "And Straker? What's he like?"

"Interesting," she said. "That Utronics project he has us working on, for instance. He's trying to track vessels flying at faster than light speed. Now why would he want to do that? They can't begin to approach those speeds themselves."

He closed the lid on the report and met her eyes. "You think it's Thoelians."

"I think it's definitely somebody. He's no civilian, for all his designer suits. Granted, I only spoke with him for a moment. But if you want my take, whoever he's after better watch out!"

Thorne sighed. "I wish we knew more about him. The information we've gathered so far hasn't been very helpful."

"What did Aniti come up with?"

"Not much more than that Straker and Freeman were Air Force buddies before venturing into business together."

Rose whistled softly. "Aniti couldn't get Freeman to tell her his life story? That's a first. I wish we could get into SHADO. See for ourselves what they're up to."

"I know," her chief said. "The closest we could get was with the Utronics project, since Guisse found out their involvement in that. The security around those two is phenomenal. Especially Straker. Do you think you can arrange to meet up with him again? We really need to know more than what we know right now. We have to put a face on their enemy, dammit! The Council won't move without confirmation of that, at the very least."

"Thorne," she said quietly. "What if it _is_ the Thoelians?"

His gray eyes were grim when they met hers. "It'll mean war. They won't take lightly to being kicked out of the Alliance by the Council. They stand to lose too much."

They contemplated that scenario in silence. Their job as security officers was to prevent war. It seemed odd to actually be searching for a reason to start one. But their duty was clear. If the Thoelians were in violation of their treaty with the Alliance, the Council needed to know. Where they took it from there was up to them. Although it was fairly certain that they would deal strongly with such a heinous crime.

"Can you manage to meet with Straker again?" Thorne asked. "Were you able to attract his interest?"

Rose sighed after a moment. "I doubt if I could captivate him. He's too self-controlled for that. But I might be able to ask him more in-depth questions about the project. He's planning on overseeing the equipment transfer to the shipping facility next week. I can make sure I'm there."

He paused before agreeing. "Is your daughter still bothering you about your work?"

"Look, Thorne," she said firmly. "You said it yourself. We have to find out what's going on. If that planet is under attack, someone has to stop it. I can't spend my life looking over my shoulder because my daughter thinks I might die someday. I have a job to do – and millions of lives riding on the answers I bring back. I'll find a way inside SHADO. Trust me."

He held her violet gaze for a long moment, then said, "Go for it then. And be careful."

***

They had lunch together in his studio office. He had instructed Miss Ealand to hold all his calls, but he knew it was a tenuous barrier from the outside world at best.

"Do you like it?" he asked her after she'd taken a few bites.

Chandra thought for a moment before nodding. "It's different," she admitted. "Spicy, but not in the way the Cajun dishes were. What is it?"

"Cantonese," he said. "One of my favorites."

"Really? Then I guess I'd better acquire a taste for it."

He chuckled. "You're not required to like what I do, darling."

"Oh, I know," she said calmly. "But if it's a favorite, I'm going to want to try a few recipes at home. And those tend to work out better if you actually like what you're cooking."

His smile was warm. "You spoil me, you know."

Her grin was cheeky. "That's my job."

***

"Coffee, sir?"

Straker turned and smiled slightly, taking the cup from her hand. "Thank you, er, Miss Spears, isn't it?"

Rose smiled back. "Yes, sir. The transfer seems to be going well."

The commander turned back to watch the heavy equipment being loaded into the trucks. "Yes. No hitches so far." After sipping his coffee for a few minutes, he said, "Questions?"

She jolted. "Sir?"

He met her violet eyes, a small twinkle lighting the back of his blue ones. "You are very silent, Miss Spears. But I can hear the gears turning. If you have questions, please feel free to ask them."

"I understand how the equipment works, sir," she said hesitantly. "But I guess I haven't quite figured out what it's going to be used_ for_."

"Indeed?" he asked, raising a brow. "No ideas at all?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Well . . . not any that aren't off the wall."

He sipped his coffee in silence for a moment. "Tell me something, Miss Spears," he said finally.

"Are you a fan of Sherlock Holmes?"

"I don't know that I'm a fan exactly," she said. "But I've read the stories, if that's what you're asking."

He nodded, his eyes on the workers loading equipment. "Good enough. What would Holmes say about this situation, do you think?"

Her lips twitched. "Oh. I see. You mean, his famous saying that once you eliminate the impossible, whatever is left – no matter how improbable – must be true."

"Exactly."

She gazed at his profile for a long moment. "So my insane hypotheses aren't quite so insane?"

He smiled ever so slightly. "I suppose that depends on whether they're true – doesn't it?"

After a while, her gaze left his profile and watched the workers instead.

"Will you be accompanying Miss Lake for the installation of the equipment at the other end?" he asked her quietly.

She met his eyes in surprise – certain that there was a motive behind his question, but unsure what it might be, since it was obvious by his demeanor that he wasn't propositioning her. "I'm not scheduled to," she answered honestly. "Why do you ask?"

"Perhaps if you came with her, you might get a few more of your questions answered," he said.

_My God_, she thought, _is he offering me a job? Can it be that simple to get inside SHADO? _"I'll see what I can do," she told him.

***

"When are you needed back in Wardrobe?" he asked her as he poured his second cup of coffee.

Chandra shrugged. "Whenever. I don't have anything pressing, if that's what you're asking. Was there something you needed my help with?"

Her husband sighed, sitting on the couch and inviting her to join him there. "I've been thinking about everything that we discussed this morning."

"Oh. Okay."

"And I still have a few unanswered questions."

"Oh."

He met her eyes hesitantly. "Is now a good time to ask them? Or would you prefer me to wait until later?"

She made herself sit back on the couch and relax. "No, Ed. Please. Go ahead and ask me."

He turned the coffee cup around in his hands for a few moments. Then he said quietly, "Hansen, Rocheski, and Dundee. Where do they fit into everything that happened?"

She gave a deep sigh. "They were onboard the Thoelian ship too."

"They'd been captured too?"

"No. They were dead. Their bodies were . . ."

His hand covered hers. "It's alright. You don't have to say any more. I understand."

Her violet eyes held his for a long moment. "Do you, Ed? Do you truly?"

He shook his head. "But it doesn't matter, Chandra. It's not worth bringing those images back into your mind just to satisfy my curiosity. I'm sorry. May I ask just one more question?"

"Okay."

"I'm wondering how you managed to land the ship on Chronos without anyone questioning your actions? Did you land in a remote spot or something?"

"No. Border Patrol specified a landing spot for me."

"Border Patrol," he repeated slowly. That sounded ominous.

"Right." She gave him a hesitant smile. "Actually, I came up with a hassle-free way to deal with the situation."

"Oh?" For some reason, he wasn't feeling reassured.

"I blew up the ship before it landed, jumping to another time and place first, of course."

"Of course. Chandra – those men. Were their bodies still onboard when you blew up the ship?"

"No, Ed!" She laid a hand on his arm. "I would never have done that. They didn't deserve to go out that way."

"Then . . . ?"

"I . . . took care of them while we were still in the atmosphere on our approach to the planet. I gave them a proper send-off."

He took her hand, intertwining their fingers. He understood that her way of 'taking care' of those men included risking her own life in multiple jumps while still in orbit. But he also knew there was no way he'd make her see it that way. To her, a 'proper send-off' would have been more important than her own safety. "Will you get in trouble with the authorities if they find out what you did?"

She shook her head. "They won't find out, Ed. There's no evidence left for them to find. No Thoelians. No Earthmen. Nothing. Just tiny pieces of the ship."

He frowned. "Won't it be suspicious when there is no body in the wreckage?"

"Perhaps," she said. "But they'll probably conclude that the pilot was a jumper who left the scene before the blast. Which is what happened. It's not such a big thing to have blown up the ship. Certainly not anything for them to get worked up about. It'll probably go down as an unsolvable case, and that will be the end of it."

"If they are able to trace it to you," he persevered. "What kind of trouble will you be in?"

She grimaced. "That would be a bit sticky, actually. After all, I did break a few of the major rules of jumping."

"Jumping has rules?" Straker asked in surprise.

"Of course. Number one being that a jumper may not use his talent to kill. And I did."

"The Thoelians. I see. But wouldn't you be able to plead self-defense, Chandra? They'd captured you, after all."

"I don't know, Ed. Maybe for the one Thoelian who took a swipe at me. But I don't think I'd get any leniency for the other one. He never knew what hit him."

He was silent for a while, considering the situation. "And you're certain that this can't ever be traced to you?" he asked. "You left no fingerprints? No blood?"

She started to shake her head, then stopped suddenly, her face going ashen.

"Chandra?" he asked, alarmed at her sudden pallor.

"Ed!" she said, her eyes wide as they met his. "The other man!"

"What other man?"

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. "There was another man onboard. Another SHADO operative. I don't know who he was, because one of the Thoelians dragged him into the other room to dissect him. I forgot about him, Ed. I was so sickened by what they were doing that I guess I just blocked it out. Oh, God! There was someone left onboard the ship!"

"Okay," he said briskly. "What will they conclude when they find his body?"

"I don't know." She rubbed her forehead distractedly. "They'll identify his race – that is, if they find a part large enough to get DNA off of. The Thoelian had cut him up pretty well, Ed. I can't be sure they'd find anything of him."

"Alright. Assuming they did. Then what?"

She was silent for several minutes, thinking hard. "If they find anything at all of him, it becomes a murder investigation, Ed. Not just a prank. Because it will be a sure thing that a jumper was involved. A jumper who knew about that dead body. Do you see?"

"Will they come here?" he asked her. "Will they know to look for you here?"

"I don't see how," she said. "There really is nothing to tie me to the incident, Ed. But they may take a closer look at Earth because of it."

That didn't sound good. "How close a look?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I couldn't begin to tell you. I'm sorry, Ed. I was sure I'd thought of everything."

"Don't!" he said, drawing her into his arms and holding her close. "We'll get through this. And if it ends up involving you, we'll get you the best lawyer we can. Your people have lawyers, don't they?"

She chuckled. "Yes. Does any civilization get by without them?"

He grinned ruefully. "That's a question for the ages."

"Ed . . ."

He laid a finger against her lips. "Let's not borrow trouble, Chandra. It's in our favor that so much time has passed. Surely if they had found out anything, they would have come before now."

She hugged him tightly. "How is it that you always make me feel better?" she asked.

He grinned at her. "Because that's _my_ job."

**Epilogue**

"I need to go back."

His hands tightened on the steering wheel as he drove home. He knew she wasn't referring to the studio they had just left. "Chandra . . ."

She turned to face him in the seat. "You know it, Ed. I never intended for them to know anything about it. It was supposed to be an anomaly; just an odd incident for their books. But a murder investigation is something else altogether. I can't leave it at that – wondering forever if they'll find out my involvement and search for me. I won't have that hanging over my head. Because they won't stop looking. They're not like law enforcement here. They won't stick it in a box and forget it."

"I won't lose you!" His words were quiet, but that did not affect their intensity.

She leaned her head against his arm. "I don't want to lose you either."

The drive home was uncharacteristically silent after that. When they pulled into the drive, he turned to her and said, "Alright. I understand why you need to confront this, instead of hiding from it. I wish you could hide from it. Be assured that I would willingly help you hide from all of it as long as necessary. But I understand why you won't. Why you can't."

"Thank you, Ed."

"But know this," he continued. "You're not going anywhere without me. Talk to your father. Get another pass. Do whatever is necessary – but find a way for me to go with you. Because I'm not losing you without one hell of a fight."


End file.
